"Find the princess and bring me the head of Tai lung!" the king of Christonia yelled from his chambers. As soon as the order was given, every guard in the castle was deployed at once, initiating a full-scale search. Yet, the effort yielded no results.

Tai lung was a renowned bandit across the Four Main kingdoms, publicly known as the 'Lord of the Bandits.' He possessed the power to rival even the most secure kingdoms. This power, which he obtained from the Dark Guild, came from magical items of the seventh grade, which he always kept hidden.

Tai lung managed to elude the guards, escaping with the princess to meet his horde of bandits at a hill just beyond the city walls. He had no fewer than 200 men waiting for him in the woods near the hill, and together they fled back to the Netherland, a wasteland far east of Christonia.

Their hideout, a cave they had been using since they formed six years ago, was filled with magical items, ordinary weapons, and vast amounts of treasure.

“She doesn’t look scared,” a thief muttered. “Why doesn’t she cry? Isn’t she scared?” another one asked. “Leave her be; she’s probably just confused. She’s only five,” Tai Lung said, pulling up a bench for her to sit on. “Do you know how much the Dark Guild is willing to offer for you, little one?” Tai Lung continued. “Of course, you don’t,” he added, finishing his question.

Tai Lung knew that for the Dark Guild to offer 500,000 crystals, there had to be something exceptional about Mei Sato. Despite her young age, she had not uttered a word during her abduction and showed no signs of fear. This observation unsettled Tai Lung, but something about Mei stirred long-buried memories from his days as a guard in Terroin. Tai Lung had not always been a bandit; he once had a family. His wife and daughter had been killed by a powerful noble to silence him and cover up his tracks. In his quest for revenge, Tai Lung had slain the noble and his family members with the aid of the Dark Guild. In his despair, he vowed never to serve any form of royalty again but instead to inflict pain and discomfort upon them.

Mei finally spoke up. “I can’t believe there are so many weapons here. Can I play with them? Please, please, please!” Her request piqued Tai Lung’s curiosity, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “She has some gall,” he remarked. At that moment, he decided to hide from both the Dark Guild and Christonia and take Mei under his wing, as she reminded him so much of his long-deceased daughter. He ordered that Mei be called Kaida from then on.

*In a different world*

“Zakku, please come down and greet our guest,” Yuki Yamashiro called out, her voice revealing her nervousness. Yuki is the mother of Zakku Yamashiro and Miyumi Yamashiro, and the wife of Hiroshi Yamashiro, a man whose wealth and pride are solely tied to his children.

Miyumi climbed the stairs and made her way to Zakku’s room. “Zakku—Oniichan, Mother is calling for you,” she said with a weary expression, knowing that Zakku detests everyone in the family except her. She was uncertain whether Zakku would respond to the invitation, especially since he was engrossed in his games.

Zakku was the brightest prodigy of the Yamashiro family, a truly accomplished individual. At the age of 12, he had already earned the title of Child Genius five times in a row before being banned from further participation. He had also formulated several cures for some of the world’s most significant illnesses. But Zakku was not only an academic genius; by the age of 16, he could best some of the world’s top martial artists. Now 18, he had chosen a life of anonymity despite his prominence in the real world, resenting the attention it brought him. His true passions were video games and manga. Although he was an accomplished young man, his inner child’s desires were so strong and insatiable that he spent all day playing video games and avoiding contact with others, especially his parents. Miyumi was the only exception to this aversion. He cherished her above everything else and respected her despite her being his junior.

“Tell them I’ll be down in five,” Zakku replied, setting his headset down. His pitch-black hair shimmered under the dim moonlight that streamed through the glass windows. The moonlight seemed to make his hair glow since all the lights in his room were off. He then stood up, stretched a bit, and headed downstairs.

As Zakku descended the stairs, he felt a wave of discomfort wash over him, cringing inwardly as the guest’s wife eyed him with a lustful gaze. His attention then shifted to Mr. Gavril, whose piercing stare awaited him. Mr. Gavril was, by all accounts, the richest man in Tokyo, an industrial titan who had built his empire in the fashion industry, particularly in ladies' cosmetics and accessories. He had an older son who had mysteriously disappeared two months ago, and a daughter, Natsuki, whom he intended to marry off to the Yamashiro family in a few months. But before any of that could happen, he needed to have a conversation with Zakku—hence the dinner that had been arranged. Zakku had already suspected the underlying motive behind the dinner and, while he acknowledged that Natsuki wouldn’t be a bad choice for a wife, he wasn’t interested in the slightest.

“At last, he is here,” Mr. Gavriel said with a hint of relief, stretching his hand toward the stairs. Zakku sighed and sat down beside his sister, his expression blank. His sister, while still worried, was prepared for a confrontation, knowing their parents’ arrangement of a marriage would anger him.

“This is Natsuki, Zakku,” his father said. “She is the daughter of Mr. Gavriel, the richest man in Tokyo.”

“I am the richest man in all of Japan,” Zakku interrupted abruptly, cutting off his father. “I just choose not to flaunt my wealth.”

Hiroshi recognized Zakku’s veiled dismissal of Mr. Gavriel’s status and wealth. He then addressed the purpose of the dinner. “We hope you’ll consider taking Natsuki as your wife, Zakku. If you don’t feel obliged, please do it for the family.”

Zakku stood up, his anger palpable. “I owe this family nothing.” His outburst surprised Natsuki and her mother but was no shock to Mr. Gavriel. As a close friend of Hiroshi, Gavriel had witnessed firsthand how greed had driven Hiroshi to push Zakku away and deny him his rightful place. Gavriel knew how Zakku had been mistreated, akin to a circus animal forced to perform. This treatment had fueled Zakku’s deep-seated resentment towards his parents. He had learned martial arts as a means to threaten his father, hoping to prevent the same fate for his sister. Although Miyumi was not as extraordinary as Zakku, she was still a prominent figure in her own right.

Zakku left the dining table, taking his food with him, and retreated to his room, locking the door behind him and sinking into a feeling of emptiness. The following day, Zakku decided to buy a new house, leaving his family behind, but urged his sister to contact him if their parents misbehaved.

A month later, Zakku had settled into his new house, which was modestly equipped with a single game station and a manga library. Despite his wealth, he chose to live simply. Unfortunately, his status as the most eligible bachelor in Tokyo made it impossible to go unnoticed. While out grocery shopping, he only purchased soda and bread from a supermarket near both his old school, where he graduated three years ago, and the school his sister currently attends.

“Hana, what’s wrong?” Miyumi asked, noticing her distress. “Yeah, that’s right. You haven’t been talking, and it’s unlike you,” Aiko added.

“Um, it’s just—” Hannah hesitated. “You can tell us,” Miyumi said, trying to comfort her. “Okay, my dad owes some terrible people money, and I’m afraid they’ll come after me. I don’t know what to do,” Hannah confessed, breaking into tears. “Oh, that’s bad. Don’t worry. Stop crying. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Miyumi reassured her, which made Hannah feel a bit more at ease. She then wiped her tears and managed a weak smile to show that she understood.

Later that day

*At Hillcrest Town mall*

Miyumi decided to walk home with her friends that day. Aiko and Hana were ahead while Miyumi trailed behind. She then noticed a black van stopping in front of the two girls just as they exited the mall. Instinctively, Miyumi sprang forward, pulling Aiko and Hana behind her for protection.

Zak decided to pass through the town mall, as it was a quicker route to his former house where he wanted to see his sister. To his shock, he saw Miyumi arguing with a man who appeared to be holding a hand glock. His eyes widened in fear as he dropped his bags and rushed toward his sister, but he was too late. Bang! The man fired his gun, and Zak could only see a white haze. Terrified and confused, he heard an unfamiliar voice. “Conditions met. Now transferring two humans: one hero and one legendary expert,” the voice intoned before Zak lost consciousness.